


A God of Joy

by REMLS_rising



Category: The Shape of Water (2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:41:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28427208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/REMLS_rising/pseuds/REMLS_rising
Summary: (Chapter 2 updated!) "In the unseen world - He will find her,"
Relationships: The Asset & Elisa Esposito, The Asset/Elisa Esposito
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	1. A God Of Joy

He was alone in the tank; the men in white and the man with the stick had left for quite a while. Slowly, he hovered at the bottom of the pool, feeling his loneliness compound in the darkness. His eyes could see even with no light, but suddenly, for the first time in his entire existence, he felt blinded, isolated, anxious; and it troubled him so. The Asset’s mind began racing, his gills fluttering in upset – despair was foreign to him up until now, and he lowered his head, finding himself craving for her, like he had so many times in the days and weeks before.

 _E-L-I-S-A_ , his fingers slowly spelled out. What he would give for her to be with him again soon. He let his mind drift as his heart slowly calmed itself. He would be alone for not much longer, for it would soon be a new day and his most precious friend would once again come when all was quiet, to smile at him, teach him words, laugh at his tricks in the water. These days, he even forgot about the eggs she always brought for him.

 _E-L-I-S-A_ , he repeated, his eyes fixated on his fingers as they formed the name; before he drifted off into a fitful sleep, and he wished more than anything that her small hands would suddenly be here to close over his.

*

Far from Occam, and moving around her kitchenette, light on her feet, Elisa put away the last of the washed silverware and mugs. Zelda was staying over tonight. “My Brewster’s been givin’ nothing but trouble!” she had complained to Elisa at Occam earlier, and a few hours of sympathetic listening to Zelda’s rants had led to the two best friends having an impromptu sleepover at Elisa’s apartment that morning when their shift ended. Giles had contemplated coming over to Elisa’s for tea, but upon hearing Zelda’s angry rants about familial troubles from the door, had refrained from knocking and tiptoed back to his apartment, not wanting to get caught in the line of fire.

Elisa nervously moved the pillows around and ensured Zelda had more than enough blanket for the night; she hadn’t used this bed in years, despite always keeping it clean and tidy. Zelda touched her hand gently.

“Thanks for all this, hun. For the dinner, the tea, the listenin’. Reckon I’d head home tomorrow, probs gonna settle all this with him at some point,” Zelda rolled her eyes.

Elisa nodded eagerly. _“You know I’m always here for you, Zel,”_

Zelda hugged her in response to her signs. “Bless you, Elisa. Now we best be gettin’ some shut eye after all that talking. Lord knows what time you’ll have to be up later tonight to prepare eggs for the…” She paused. “…The thing, your friend,” she continued.

Elisa grinned, suddenly remembering the best part of all her days. _“Yes…my…special friend,”_ she signed uncertainly.

Zelda narrowed her eyes at her. “What’s your face going red for?”

Elisa shook her head with a smile, and shrugged, causing Zelda to narrow her eyes further.

“Well…alright…good night, hun,” Zelda reached over and turned off the bedside lamp, and the two of them snuggled into the sheets; Elisa giggling silently at the excitement of her best friend staying at her home. Zelda’s soft snoring slowly filled the room after a while, she had talked herself into exhaustion, and Elisa soon found herself staring at the ceiling.

She thought of his golden pupils and curious chirps, and her hands clutched her blanket tighter as her thoughts wandered to the Asset. She would prepare 10 eggs for him tomorrow, slightly under hard boiled; his favorite variant. Oh, had she been missing him; she hadn’t seen him for the whole day today, her schedule had been changed at the last minute and she was needed to work overtime at another lab, and she found herself pining for him all night. She imagined herself running over to his pool tomorrow, throwing herself over the edge and his arms catching her, wrapping themselves around her body as she was embraced against his strong frame; Elisa shivered; she imagined him holding her not like an affectionate, curious creature, but like a man, with passion and awareness. Elisa’s lips curled into a gentle smile as her mind dozed off. He would then pull back gently…then gaze down at her…she just wanted him to…

Elisa drifted into a dream, and in the comfort and security of her sleep, she could face the one fact she couldn’t bear to bring herself to admit in the midst of all the uncertainty and stress in sneaking around to see the Asset; that she had started to fall in love with him.

*

Miles away, the Asset’s mind stirred, his dreams of chasing the small crabs in his homeland river interrupted. His eyes blinked open from his uncomfortable sleep. What was happening? He raised a hand to his chest and felt the thrum of sudden energy rush through his veins, his body was starting to glow; golden. His mind suddenly felt a pull, and his heart, a tug, and though this feeling was new, it was not foreign, he felt it was so very familiar, as comforting as the warm waters in his homeland.

Elisa was dreaming about him. He let out a chirp and began darting around the pool. It was not the first time he had sensed her thoughts; the bond between them had deepened to the point where he could feel her, read her; and be affected by her. Yet, he knew this dream of hers was different, more potent than the others. He read into her energy, his body heating up and lights beaming brighter as he sensed her longing and elatedness, and suddenly, he felt it; that different thing about her dream this time, that new, powerful feeling as she dreamt, even as she was far away from him in that moment. His gills fluttered in joyful embarrassment – the woman he was so fond of was having him in her thoughts.

*

Elisa turned about in her sleep - her mocha hair askew on her pillow, her mind fully exploring her subconscious desires.

_She found herself seated in the Orpheum theater, a full house for once, with the Asset beside her; his cold, strong arm casually draped over her small frame. She stilled, hardly daring to breathe; for so long she had wanted to be close to him like this, but was he even possible of such an act? His claws rested against her body, near her stomach, and she tried her best to swallow down her fears of being so cozy with a predator, no matter how loving he appeared to be. Going on a date with a creature that had jaws strong enough to chomp human fingers clean off, she wondered if this was actually supposed to be a nightmare._

_But in her dreams, he never hurt her even though he could; in her dreams, they were free even though they were different. The Asset could live without hiding, and Elisa could finally face the truth; that she wanted to be with him, no matter how impossible it seemed. Even if it meant pretending that he could live in her world, where even the dry air and the polluted atmosphere allowed his body to be by her side; everywhere and anywhere. The two of them watched the screen, and everyone in the theater considered it the most natural thing in the world that a small lady was held close by an aquatic monster beside her. The movie’s soundtrack played in the background, the grand music swelling as the two leads reconciled in a passionate scene. Elisa beamed as the Asset let out a curious sound. She was such a sucker for romance; she was glad Zelda wasn’t in her dream to smirk at her choice of movies. The Asset watched the two actors come together in a sudden, dramatic kiss, and turned to look at Elisa, as if trying to ask her what they were doing._

_Elisa raised her eyebrows at him, suddenly feeling shy. She had contemplated for so long teaching him the word, but in what context would she have to introduce the concept to him? She saw no possible scenario in their current situation which might make the term relevant. And how would he even understand the meaning behind the gesture? Unless, of course, he wanted to do it to her..._

_“...K-I-S-S” she slowly signed with her left hand, spelling it out for his quick mind to catch. He let out a low rumble, and she nodded, encouraging him to try it out for himself._

_"Why?" his large hand signed, and Elisa's mind emptied for a brief moment._

_Why? Was he asking her...why the two actors were kissing? Elisa couldn't help but laugh at his innocence._

_"Because they love each other," she signed to him with a smile. She pointed at the lead actor, this time reciting a cheesy line to the female star. "He loves her,"_

_The Asset's gaze on her suddenly became intent as understanding colored his face. He let out a warble that sounded almost pleased. Elisa swallowed, just what had sparked in his mind after that piece of information she shared with him? The Asset's focus started to hone in, as though concentrating all his energy on something he was determined to do just right. Her mind jogged as she tried to keep up with him. As beautiful as his features was, those gold irises were unreadable; hunger and agitation could very well be mistaken for playfulness. As proficient as his signing was getting, she was still incapable of understanding exactly everything he was thinking; and even if she realized he meant danger, she would be powerless when faced with his impossibly strong form._

_He lifted his claws, and for a moment, Elisa expected him to sign a response or a question back to her, the way he had always managed to with every single word she had taught him. Instead, he reached up and clasped her face in his large hand, the sudden, cold contact raising goosebumps on her flesh._

_Elisa found her heart beating twice as fast; this touch of his wasn't real, she had to keep reminding herself._

_Then why did her soul so long for it to be? Elisa's heart grew heavy under the conflict weighing in on her._

_He inched closer, his lips parted slightly, inquisitively, and she could almost imagine his gentle breath on her face. She closed her eyes, shutting out the guilt at her most private desires. It wasn’t her fault, this fantasy! How could he have such a beautiful mouth and not expect her to harbor such feelings? She had always wondered how kissing him would be like; would it feel like the few other men she had kissed in her lifetime? But how could this angel compare to those mortals? With him, she hoped, a kiss would mean something new altogether, something shared between them that was special, a coming together of two different beings that showed just how insurmountable love could be, surpassing every challenge their differences posed. She opened her eyes again, and the look on his face almost made her faint; it was a look that she could not make up, even in her imagination; he was staring at her as though_ she _was the irresistible one, as though it was_ he _who was guilty of not being able to hold back his desires._

*

There. Her. Elisa.

He reached out with his mind into the abyss to draw her ever closer. Not her scent, not the sound of her warm blood pounding in her veins, but her presence, her spirit. Seldom had he done this, almost never; but the things he could do were strange and not fully understood by even him, and his love for her, matched with her feelings for him, could drive him to new and powerful things.

_*_

_Elisa paused, suddenly uncertain. She had never seen his face so open and expressive before. She felt his strong arm behind her back; wrapping itself around her waist, yet Elisa knew she would never dare let him hold her like this just yet, she was still working up the courage to let him hold her hand._

_Was she truly alone? She knew that in reality, Zelda was fast asleep beside her, and if Elisa willed herself hard, she would eventually stir herself awake, this was her mind, her thoughts._

_But who's dream did this belong to now? Why did she feel a divine presence she recognized so strongly as his that the dream seemed almost tangible?_

_The Asset continued staring at her, for all that she was. A distant, sudden call (she realized it was not her own thoughts) came to her, and she could suddenly discern, from his tender expression, that these were the eyes of a Creature in love, taking in the sight of a woman he deemed nothing short of perfect. In the next moment -to Elisa's horror and pleasure- he was closing the inch of distance between them._

Elisa awoke with an abrupt start and a gasp. In the darkness of her apartment, as she tried to recollect her thoughts and brought her trembling hands up to cover her burning face, lab T-4 at Occam Laboratories was covered with a sudden explosion of gold light. Something in the pool was radiating joy like never before.


	2. A Woman of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "In the Unseen world - she will come to Him,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three different dreams; three different moments.

_His claws were cold on her body, leaving faint red marks on her in the path of their exploration; and when he saw how soft her skin was under his inhuman, curious touch, he became gentler, more tender, and Elisa stood absolutely still. Looking up at the magnificent beast towering over her, she wondered if he understood what they were about to do, what she was willing to let him do to her. She shuddered at the thought of his primal desires. If he really was a monster like the scientists said, how far could she go when he finally did take her? He growled, a low, soft sound, intimidating and dangerous; and Elisa breathed rapidly as he brought his face down to hers, sniffing her deeply._

_She was just like him now, bare, naked. Yet instead of feeling vulnerable and afraid, like a tribute to an unforgiving god, she felt his loving caresses and piercing gazes were the true offering, as though he was the one doing the worshipping, and it was her who would decide if he was worthy. She swallowed hard as his large hand palmed her breast, gently squeezing. His face was innocent, curious, and he seemed puzzled at the gasp of arousal she let out. Looking to her for approval, he pulled her to him fully._

_Elisa nodded; lips parted in anticipation. “Yes,” she signed, her trembling fingers not knowing exactly what she was allowing him to do, but his hold on her tightened, wanting to learn more about her not just by touch alone. Elisa shuddered as his tongue slowly lapped at her ear; it was thick and long, and she could feel moisture between her legs as she began thinking about other places where he could taste her. His tongue travelled down to her neck, and if she could scream, she might have, as he tasted her jaw and ran his tongue over her scars. She gasped and squirmed in his claws, tight around her torso and hip, not letting her run, but Elisa knew that he held her close because she was precious to him, and that he would only explore if she granted him the right._

_He stilled suddenly, his lights turning blue. Elisa was about to sign to him asking what was wrong when she saw the Asset’s nose twitch. Elisa was dripping down her legs now, and the scent intrigued him. Quickly, he kneeled before her, his hands cupping her ass as his pupils widened at her wet entrance. Elisa gently gripped his head with a thundering heart. Oh, was he about to-_

_His tongue struck out and tasted her liquids, and Elisa threw her head back as her body jolted. The Asset pulled her nearer to his open mouth, holding her shivering legs tightly to him as he lapped up her trickling moisture. Letting out another growl, his tongue became bolder, drinking in her sweet nectar with unabashed thirst. Elisa was breathless, her eyes wide as she watched this creature’s careless want for her slowly bring out his untamed side. With another growl, his tongue pushed his way into her cunt, he was on the journey to drink more of her in, and he realized the deeper he got, the sweeter she became. Elisa screamed, her eyes shut tight despite no sound coming from her; and as his long appendage suddenly breached her fully, her world spun and exploded._

She ripped the eye mask from her face, panting. Sunlight was streaming in the windows. What time was it? Elisa’s eyes flew to her clock. Late afternoon. Her shift wasn’t for a few more hours, yet she had awoken without the alarm. She stirred, and realizing the soaking stickiness between her legs, bit her lip in shame. She locked her hands at her sides, calming herself and willing her fingers not to satisfy her pleasures. So often had she touched herself, but this was the first time a dream of hers had been so vivid.

And so lustful. Elisa rubbed her temples, her face burning up as her wet dream replayed itself in her mind. She was already humming silently to herself during shifts, and Zelda was getting suspicious with her playful, giddy behavior at work. Dreams like these would just worsen her focus during working hours. Getting up from her couch with unsteady feet, she rushed to the bathroom to change and clean herself off. It was going to be a very interesting bath when she prepared for work later.

*

_He fucks her from behind, hard and fast; and Elisa's breath was ragged, aroused by his roughness. Her breasts rocked as her body shook from his exertion, he was moving in and out of her like his life depended on it, his pent-up desire for her augmented by her wanton lust for him. Their differences in size was apparent, he so large, and she so petite; that he completely surrounded her, she was entirely wrapped up in his hold and dominion. For him, she would go down on her hands and knees, purely submitting to his urges. Their passionate union made her limbs tremble in both lust and pain, and she bit down on a gasp as she struggled to withstand the feeling of him fully inside her. It was not just his body which was large. His cold hand was wrapped around her throat, and Elisa felt him tighten his grip; but she had always liked it when he hurt her a little. The knowledge that he was strong enough to break her, yet he was always so careful not to. His other hand comes down and strokes her clit, he had learned enough to know that one part of her which drove her to the edge and made Elisa's whole body tense, gripping his cock in a tight, fiery hold that made him insane, too. His breath was warm on her cheek, and as he thrusted even deeper, his swelling cock growing with the promise of climax, her eyes were half lidded as she moaned silently. He roars, and as his teeth sinks into her soft shoulder, Elisa comes, her clear fluid mixing in with his milky release as his warm essence floods her core. She is his, his, his, she can sense him trying to say, as he pumps into her more and more, his arms wrapping around her tightly; and though her shoulder bleeds under his lustful bite, it is she who is the insatiable one._

_“More,” she signs into his arm, and as she turns around to look into his eyes, his body lights up in aroused hunger again._

Her apartment was filled with the wet sounds of her finger rubbing against her clit. Elisa had tried to control herself the first few times, but over the weeks as she and the Asset had gotten closer, her dreams had climaxed to a point where she was no longer in control of her urges, and her bony fingers were drenched as she played in between her parted legs. Dreams with him were so real, every single one of them - the loving ones, where she realized she had surrendered her soul to him just as much as he had to her; and the sinful ones, where they seemed so tangible she could even feel his heat on her skin after she awoke.

Elisa pressed her face into her pillow, filled with irrational fears that she should scream in her climax, and as her body rocked in orgasm, she knew she was too far gone. Shame, denial, it all meant nothing to her. She just wanted him.

*

_He beckons her closer, and she giggles. He looked so cute when he mimicked her human signals, Elisa thought. The Asset was waving at her with his long, sharp fingers, a gesture that meant “come here”. Elisa leans her mop against the wall. They had spent almost hours learning signs together and she had played several records for him already, him accompanying the music with excited warbles and crooning whenever his favorites came on. Elisa had wanted to quickly clean up in lab T-4 before heading home, she had already exceeded her assigned time here._

_But what was time when the both of them were together? The hours always flew by in a matter of moments, and Elisa’s heart always dropped whenever the Asset let out a sad sound when she pulled away to actually do her cleaning in the lab. Elisa skipped over playfully to the pond, where the Asset had started to swim over to the edge. Whenever she was in the room, he was always at the pool's stone rim, seemingly wanting to jump over and be as close to her as possible. Elisa kneeled before him, bringing their foreheads together with a big grin. He was being clingy as usual, and it made her feel giddy with excitement. Thoughts such as “boyfriend” and “lover” played in her mind, and she pushed those ideas aside with embarrassment. Giles would surely shake his head at her if she were to ever tell him, and she could already hear Zelda’s tuts of disapproval. Unknown, mysterious and possibly lethal creatures were not exactly partner material._

_The Asset stretched his arms out, and Elisa raised her eyebrows at him in question. He remained still, as though waiting for her to accept his advances and come into his embrace. Only, he was in the water, and for her to be with him, she would need to be in it, too._

_Elisa raises her arms in a “What?” gesture, and the Asset rumbled with a low purr, bowing his head; his arms still welcoming her in. She decided to play along then, and stepped tentatively over the pool’s edge, the still, unnatural water below her. Reaching out to him, she loses her balance briefly and falls right into his arms with a surprised, silent yelp. Immediately, she is crushed against him, and she suddenly realizes the collar around his neck had disappeared._

_Oh, she realizes, as her breath was squeezed out of her by his strong grip; this was just another dream._

_But for a dream, the water around her still felt freezing cold as he pulled the both of them under, and as Elisa gasped in shock, she found herself choking on the murky pool water as the Asset dived in deeper. Was the pool actually this deep? Elisa thought frantically, it had always seemed so shallow from above, and just what was he trying to do with her? Elisa panicked, thrashing and trying to free herself, but as much as her thin limbs pushed against the Asset’s broad chest, she found herself still in his clutches. In earnest fear now, Elisa kicked out, her legs hitting against the Asset’s muscular calves. He must have felt nothing, as his body started glowing blue, illuminating the cold, black water surrounding them. Elisa choked, feeling suffocated by the lack of air. Pounding on his chest, she continued struggling. He was going to kill her! The Asset must have wanted her to join him in the water, and misunderstood that she too, was amphibious like him. Elisa struggled, trying to show him that she very much still needed the air._

_Until he kissed her._

_Elisa continued twisting futilely, her basic human instinct to survive kicking in hard. Yet, he held her close in his arms, his mouth pressed passionately against hers, and Elisa felt a sudden surge of electricity run through her whole body._

_Where had she felt this before? Why was this so familiar?_

_Slowing down her struggling, Elisa’s eyes blinked wide in fear. The water around her was less dark now, bathed in the light from the Asset’s lit up, blue form. His eyes were closed, and there was so much love in his kiss that Elisa found herself forgetting about breathing for a moment. When his lips released hers, his face remained an inch away from hers, his golden eyes searching her hazel ones, encouraging her to understand what he just did. Elisa relaxed in his hold, allowing him to pull her down deeper into the seemingly bottomless pool, and she couldn't help breathing in, expecting water to flood her nose and mouth._

_Instead, bubbles escaped her throat and lips. Her heart pounding, she took another deep breath, the deprivation of oxygen from earlier making her inhale desperately. She should be mystified at what he did to her, should be frightened at where he was taking her, but down here in the great unknown, she was in his territory. He was one with the water, and he had claimed her to join him in his kingdom. Distant sounds of thunder echoed in the background, and Elisa whirled her head around, trying to find the source. The water started getting warmer, and Elisa knew with absolutely certainty that despite it being impossible, they were no longer at Occam. The thunder started becoming more rhythmic, as though it had a certain melody, and Elisa discerned it as countless tribal drums, played by those welcoming the arrival of a king._

_Or the return of a god._

_He looked at her with affection, with tenderness, with joy, with lust; and with absolute, unbridled, limitless love. Then she felt a word pulsate through her mind. The voice that spoke to her was ancient, frightening, spectacular, so beyond the natural world that Elisa would have gone mad with fright had the Asset not held her in his arms so protectively._

_“Mate,”_

_Elisa found herself lost in his eyes, in shock at his message. Was he speaking to her without signs? And could she do the same? She doubted her hands could form a coherent message at the moment._

_“Mate?” she echoed the word back to him._

_Happiness brimmed in his large eyes; his gills started fluttering now. He nodded, pressing his forehead against hers as that inhuman voice from him invaded her mind again._

_“Wife,”_

_And he brought his lips to her throat while his manhood speared her cunt slowly. Sheathing himself in her to the hilt, Elisa cried out for him as her beloved consummated their bond again and again, both of them tumbling lower, deeper, into the warm waters of a place far, far away, where he was in power and she was finally fully his._

Elisa awoke, no longer with a start or a shock, but with a calm realization as she feels her lover strong behind her, his embrace keeping her warm in the cold bathtub water. He was here, he was hers; and flashbacks of their miraculous escape days ago spring to her remembrance. She reached up to his neck, gently stroking the wounds left behind by the metal ring while he was in capture, and she softly kisses them. He blinks his pupils open from his slumber, chirruping a happy greeting at her.

Elisa smiles tenderly. These days, being able to come back to her love, safe and sound in her home, made her reality more beautiful than anything in her imagination.

The Asset keeps his hold on Elisa from behind. The vision he had shared with the woman he loved in her subconscious was too deep for her mortal awareness to comprehend it as a message from him, but one day when he made her like him, perhaps then she could understand the plans he had for the both of them. He breathes into her hair, trying to let her feel his excitement at their future together, and as she smiles and melts into his arms, he holds her tight and lets her fully rest at last.

**Author's Note:**

> Aye, leave a comment if you enjoyed this, would love to hear from you all :) Comments make us writers' days!


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